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Alberta • 7,451 Registered Wells

Athabasca County Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • Alberta Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In Athabasca County, the median completed well is 75 ft deep.

A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is 12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on Alberta Health private well data.

These municipal aggregates support planning only — they do not replace an accredited laboratory potability test for your own well.

Interactive Well Depth & Modeled Typical Strata

Drag the indicator line or tap a stratum below to read the recorded depth range

Drilling in: Sandstone Bedrock Formation (40–340 ft)Basal Bedrock Aquifer

Modelled Depth

75 FT

Area median

Drilling cost

$5,250–$11,250

Estimate

Published hardness

12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃

0 ft (Surface)Median 75 ft1495 ft (Deep)
Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt
Sedimentary Shale Formation
Sandstone Bedrock Formation
Undifferentiated Aquifer
Modeled typical strata:

Modeled typical strata — placeholder from median depth + aquifer type; not local driller logs.

Well Statistics

Local measurements compared against Alberta provincial benchmarks.

Total Registered Wells 7,451
Median Well Depth 75 ft
AB benchmark: 121 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 128.0 ft
Recorded Depth Range 1 – 5285 ft
Hardness 12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Alberta Health private well data
Drilling cost $5,250–$11,250 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 83% of wells

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of Athabasca County

Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire Athabasca County.

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 75 ft. Recorded depths cover 7,170 wells.

0–49 ft 30.9% · 2,212
49–98 ft 28.5% · 2,046
98–148 ft 15.3% · 1,100
148–197 ft 10% · 714
197–295 ft 9.9% · 707
295–394 ft 3.4% · 241
394–591 ft 0.5% · 39
591+ ft 1.5% · 111

Median depth of 75 ft falls inside the reported range. Deeper completions here usually mean higher mineral content but steadier year-round pressure.

Aquifer Composition

Bedrock and drift aquifers recorded by drillers in this area.

918 holes found no usable water. test holes, observation or monitoring wells, dewatering wells, decommissioned wells, dry holes, no-aquifer holes, and other non-supply wells filtered out of the headline

Water Quality Profile

A published hardness range, when one exists for this place and aquifer. Not a test of your well.

Measured nearby

Measured government tests within 25 km of Athabasca County.

Soft (<60) Med (61–120) Hard (121–180) V. hard (>180)

USGS (2018) bands reprinted by Health Canada. A range can cross more than one band. This is not a sample.

What this is not

  • Not a laboratory result for a well on your property.
  • Not a reason to size a softener. Size equipment from a lab test.
  • Not a drilling quote. A cost line on this page is a national estimate, not a price for one well.

Health Canada has not set a maximum acceptable concentration for hardness. A wide published range can sit in more than one USGS band.

Survey section: Section 21, Township 66, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian, 1.56 km away, nearby.

2 government lab tests, dated 2004–2008.

These results are old (tested 2004–2008).

Hardness 251–355 mg/L as CaCO₃.

2 tests are above 180 mg/L.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 2 government lab tests.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Survey section: Section 20, Township 66, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian, 2.01 km away, nearby.

4 government lab tests, dated 2005–2014.

Hardness 399–960 mg/L as CaCO₃.

4 tests are above 180 mg/L.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 4 government lab tests.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Survey section: Section 8, Township 66, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian, 2.14 km away, nearby.

1 government lab test, dated 2002.

These results are old (tested 2002).

Hardness 357 mg/L as CaCO₃ (1 test).

1 test is above 180 mg/L.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 1 government lab test.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Drilling Activity

Historical permit and construction activity by decade.

Pre-1970 499 wells · avg 190 ft
1970s 1,542 wells · avg 113 ft
1980s 2,423 wells · avg 95 ft
1990s 1,544 wells · avg 124 ft
2000s 801 wells · avg 165 ft
2010s 416 wells · avg 151 ft
2020s 161 wells · avg 151 ft

77% of dated wells are over 30 years old (pre-1995). Steel casing installed before 1995 can lose integrity over time. Any older well should get a casing inspection and a certified bacterial test before reliance.

Treatment

Size treatment from a laboratory test

This page does not turn a hardness range or a well depth into an equipment total, a grain capacity, or a drilling price. Read the methodology, the filtration guide, and the products catalog.

Suggested system

Suggested system for Athabasca County

1

Test kit

estimate, confirm with a lab test

A test of your own well comes before any equipment. Test for coliform bacteria.

Water testing
2

Water softener

estimate, confirm with a lab test

Some wells nearby test above 120 mg/L, a softener may help, confirm with a lab test. 2 tests are above 180 mg/L.

Hard-water guide
Local Contractors

Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving Athabasca County

Because water wells in Athabasca County average 75 ft, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.

Summers Drilling Inc.

Yard: Stony Plain, AB (142.4 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Acreage & Farm Wells Downhole Video Inspection Pump Repair
(780) 963-1282 Visit Website ↗

Losness Drilling

Yard: Lougheed, AB (244.3 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Central Alberta Agricultural Rural Residential Wells Shock Chlorination
(780) 672-3333

McAllister Drilling

Yard: Lloydminster, AB (256.9 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Border City Aquifers Overburden Screens Farm Water Development
(780) 875-2409

AMA Drilling / Parsons Water Wells

Yard: Red Deer County, AB (269.5 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Rotary Air & Mud Drilling Agricultural High Yield Chlorination
(403) 347-7704

Looking for more regional well drillers?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about water wells in Athabasca County.

What is the median well depth in Athabasca County?

Among 7170 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 75.0 ft (22.86 m).

Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records

Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths

Athabasca

10.2 km

View well logs →

Thorhild County

59.1 km

View well logs →

Westlock County

72 km

View well logs →

Lac La Biche County

74.9 km

View well logs →

Smoky Lake

78.6 km

View well logs →

Nearby communities